Keftedes, Greek Meatballs

I married a Big Fat Greek Family, and we all love to eat Greek food. Hubby’s Aunt Jennie is an excellent cook, and used to own a restaurant. She also loves to entertain family and friends. I learned a few things from her, about Greek Cuisine. She makes the best Keftedes, leg of lamb, Pastichio, Moussaka, Spanakopita, and a very scrumptious Baklava. She always tells me her meatballs include 10 ingredients, but I never write them down. So I am going by memory here. I can easily call her, but this dish came out so delicious. As the saying goes, if it ain’t broken don’t fix it. I use a little breadcrumbs in this recipe, but I noticed some recipes call for some white bread.

Serves: 6-8 Level of difficulty: Medium
Yield: 24 meatballs more or less depending on how big you make them. You can use an ice cream scooper to make them evenly.

Ingredients:

2.5 ground sirloin

1 medium onion, diced

6 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 ounce of fresh mint leaves, chopped

1 large handful of flat-leave parsley, chopped

1 tsp. dried oregano, or 2-3 sprigs of fresh ones, chopped

1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

2 eggs

Salt & Pepper to taste

Olive oil for fryingPreparation:

1) Prep the first 10 ingredients, and place in a large bowl. Mix well and form the meatballs. I always taste test one first, by pan frying it, this way, I can add more seasoning, if necessary.

2) You will work in batches. In a large skillet, cover the bottom
with olive oil and heat it over medium-high heat. Always make
sure, oil is hot before pan frying, otherwise, you will end up with
soggy meatballs. Place meatballs in a single layer, and pan fry for about 6-7 minutes on one side, then flip them and fry an additional 6-7 minutes on the other side. You may have to lower the flame to medium-heat at that point, otherwise, if it’s too high, they will get very dark. Do not overcook them as they will dry up. This may take some practice. You can also bake them for a healthier version.

3) Remove, and arrange them on a plate. Garnish with some mint leaves. Serve it with some Tzatziki Sauce on the side. The meatballs can be served as a Meze, an appetizer, or serve it with a Greek Salad for a full meal.

I can assure you, you and your family will enjoy this Greek deliciousness.

Get cooking, and let me know how they come out!

Kali Orexi

Disclosure: I do not get paid to mention the Fage brand, I happen to like their Greek Yogurt. Please make sure meat is fully cooked to avoid the risk of food-born illnesses.